[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67674-67675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25951]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 226 / Monday, November 29, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 67674]]



ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES


Notice of Public Meeting of the Assembly of the Administrative 
Conference of the United States

AGENCY: Administrative Conference of the United States.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Assembly of the Administrative Conference of the United 
States will meet during a one-day virtual plenary session to consider 
proposed recommendations and to conduct other business. Written 
comments may be submitted in advance, and the meeting will be 
accessible to the public.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, December 16, 2021, from 
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The meeting may adjourn early if all business is 
finished.

ADDRESSES: To facilitate participation during the ongoing COVID-19 
pandemic, the meeting will be conducted virtually. Information on how 
to access the meeting will be available on the agency's website prior 
to the meeting at https://www.acus.gov/meetings-and-events/event/76th-plenary-session.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shawne McGibbon, General Counsel 
(Designated Federal Officer), Administrative Conference of the United 
States, Suite 706 South, 1120 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; 
Telephone 202-480-2080; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Administrative Conference of the United 
States makes recommendations to federal agencies, the President, 
Congress, and the Judicial Conference of the United States regarding 
the improvement of administrative procedures (5 U.S.C. 594). The 
membership of the Conference, when meeting in plenary session, 
constitutes the Assembly of the Conference (5 U.S.C. 595). For further 
information about the Conference and its activities, please visit 
www.acus.gov.
    Agenda: The Assembly will receive updates on past, current, and 
pending Conference initiatives. In addition, pending final action by 
the Conference's the Council, five proposed recommendations will be 
considered. Summaries of the recommendations appear below:
    Public Access to Agency Adjudicative Proceedings. This proposed 
recommendation identifies best practices regarding when and how federal 
agencies provide public access to adjudicative proceedings.Within the 
legal framework established by federal law, it identifies factors 
agencies should consider when determining whether to open or close 
particular proceedings. It also offers best practices to promote public 
access to proceedings that agencies open to the public and recommends 
that agencies make the policies governing public access readily 
available.
    Public Availability of Inoperative Agency Guidance Documents. This 
proposed recommendation identifies for agencies best practices for 
maintaining public access to agency guidance documents that are no 
longer in effect--that is, inoperative guidance documents. It addresses 
factors agencies should consider in deciding whether to include certain 
types of inoperative guidance documents on their websites; steps 
agencies can take to make it easier for members of the public to find 
the inoperative guidance documents in which they are interested; and 
what labels and explanations agencies should use to ensure that the 
public can readily understand the context and significance of 
particular inoperative guidance documents.
    Quality Assurance Systems in Agency Adjudication. This proposed 
recommendation identifies best practices for agencies when devising and 
implementing systems to assess and improve the quality of decisions in 
adjudicative programs. It emphasizes cutting-edge techniques (including 
artificial intelligence) to structure the capture and analysis of data; 
the selection, role, and institutional placement of personnel; the use 
of performance metrics; efforts to ensure fairness, impartiality, 
efficiency, and other important institutional objectives; and the 
relationship between quality-assurance review and conventional 
appellate review.
    Regulation of Representatives in Agency Proceedings. This proposed 
recommendation recommends that agencies consider adopting rules 
governing attorney and non-attorney representatives in adjudicative 
proceedings in order to promote the accessibility, fairness, integrity, 
and efficiency of those proceedings. It provides guidance on the topics 
that rules might cover and recommends that agencies consider whether 
greater harmonization of different bodies of rules is desirable and 
ensure that their rules are readily accessible to representatives and 
the public.
    Technical Reform of the Congressional Review Act. This proposed 
recommendation offers technical reforms of the Congressional Review Act 
(CRA) that clarify certain procedural aspects of the CRA while reducing 
administrative burdens on executive-branch agencies and congressional 
offices. Specifically, the proposed recommendation suggests phasing out 
the requirement that agencies submit paper copies of certain rulemaking 
materials to Congress in favor of an electronic process; making it 
easier to ascertain key dates and time periods relevant to review of 
agency rules under the CRA; and formalizing a procedure by which 
Members of Congress can initiate congressional review of rules that 
agencies conclude are not covered by the CRA.
    Additional information about the proposals and the agenda, as well 
as any changes or updates to the same, can be found at the 76th Plenary 
Session page on the Conference's website prior to the start of the 
meeting: https://www.acus.gov/meetings-and-events/event/76th-plenary-session.
    Public Participation: The Conference welcomes the virtual 
attendance of the public at the meeting, subject to bandwidth 
limitations. Members of the public who wish to view the meeting are 
asked to RSVP online at the 76th Plenary Session web page shown above, 
no later than two days before the meeting, in order to ensure adequate 
bandwidth. For anyone who is unable to view the live event, an archived 
video recording of the meeting will be available on the Conference's 
website

[[Page 67675]]

shortly after the conclusion of the event: https://youtube.com/channel/UC1Gu44Jq1U7XsGdC9Tfl_zA.
    Written Comments: Persons who wish to comment on any of the 
proposed recommendations or official statement may do so by submitting 
a written statement either online by clicking ``Submit a comment'' on 
the 76th Plenary Session web page shown above or by mail addressed to: 
December 2021 Plenary Session Comments, Administrative Conference of 
the United States, Suite 706 South, 1120 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 
20036. Written submissions must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. 
(EDT), Friday, December 10, 2021, to ensure consideration by the 
Assembly.
    Authority: 5. U.S.C. 595.

    Dated: November 23, 2021.
Shawne McGibbon,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-25951 Filed 11-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6110-01-P